Adjustable welt stocking



Juiy 23, 1935. W.-TAlT 2,008,936

ADJUSTABLE WELT STOCKING Filed Oct. 6, 1 934 INVENTOR Patented July 23,1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application October 6,

1 Claim.

My invention relates to a new and useful ladies hose or stocking, andmore particularly to a stocking provided with an adjustable Welt so asto accommodate the stocking to the thickness of the leg of the wearer.In the manufacture of ladies stockings, and particularly in themanufacture of the full-fashioned type, the welt normally extends abovethe knee of the wearer and is formed on a standard machine and in asingle standard size calculated to fit what is conceived as an averageperson. However, it is well known that the thickness of the legs ofdifferent persons, particularly the portion of the leg above the kneewhich is normally encased by the welt, varies considerably.

It is therefore the object of my invention to produce a stockingprovided with a welt which is adjustable to the particular size of theleg of the wearer and which presents a neat and tidy appearance.

A further object of my invention is to provide a welt which isadjustable in character and which may, if so desired, dispense with theuse of any means for suspending the stocking, such as a round garter ora garter extending vertically from an under-garment.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of the upper portion of a stockingshowing a welt provided with a hookless fastener. V

Fig. 2 represents a view similar to Fig. l with the hookless fastenerclosed.

Fig. 3 represents a section on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 represents a View similar to Figs. 1 and 2 showing a modifiedconstruction.

Referring to the drawing in which like reference characters indicatelike parts, I designates the leg of a stocking having the welt 2 of ausual double thickness standard construction. 3 and 4 designate tapes orbands on which are secured the complementary parts 5 and 6 of the wellknown hookless fastener known as a zipper. In Fig. 4 I have shown thewelt 2 as having a completely cut-out portion 1 and as having the maleand female snap fasteners 8 which may be sewn directly upon the stockingor upon the tapes 3 and 4 secured to the stocking. The complementaryparts 5 and 6 of the hookless fastener, as Well as the male and femalesnap fasteners 8, are preferably arranged in a V beginning at anysuitable point above the bottom edge 9 of the welt and extendingsubstantially to the upper edge Ill of the stocking. In cases where thestandard size of the welt properly fits the leg of the wearer thestocking is worn in the condition shown in Fig. 1 with the hooklessfasteners disengaged. If the welt 1934, Serial No. 747,126

happens to be a little too big for the leg of the wearer, the fasteningslide I2 of the hookless fastener is raised to close or secure thecomplementary parts 5 and '6 of the hookless fastener and thus reducethe diameter of the welt to fit the leg, the section of the weltenclosed between the parts 5 and 6 of the hookless fastener beinggathered in a fold M, as shown in Fig. 3. In the construction shown inFig. 4, if the welt fits the leg properly the stocking is worn with thesnap fasteners 8 fully engaged, and if the welt is too small for the legthe snap fasteners are disengaged, beginning'at the top to whateverextent is necessary, so that the welt is thus enlarged to the extent ofthe cut-out portion 1 thereof.

It will be seen that in the constructions of Fig. 1 and Fig. 4 it ispossible entirely to dispense with the use of garters supporting astocking, whether such garters be of the round variety encircling theleg or of the strap variety suspended from an under-garment, since byadjusting the welt to the proper size the stocking can be supported inplace by the welt hugging the portion of the leg above the knee. In thisway the circular garters which interfere with the circulation of theblood and the resultant discomfort are eliminated and the uncomfortablestrap garters which often show through the thin dresses of the ladiesare eliminated. The tapes 3 and 4 which carry the complementary parts 5and 6 of the hookless fasteners or the male and female snap fasteners 8may be sewed on to the stocking in the position shown or may bedetachably secured thereto in any suitable manner, so that the personwearing the stocking can by changing the position of the tapes 3 and 4change the range of available adjustment to suit the particular form orsize of the leg, and by this means the hookless fastener or the snapfasteners may be removed when the stockings are washed and applied againwhen the stocking is to be used. Furthermore, the complementary parts ofthe hookless fastener, as well as the snap fasteners, which do not wearout as rapidly as the rest of the stocking, may be removed from one pairof stockings and applied to a new pair, either in the manner shown inFig. 1 in which the stocking welt is intact, or as shown in Fig. 4 inwhich the stocking welt is cut out in a V shape as at 1.

I claim:

A stocking having a continuous Welt, tape sections secured to said weltin V formation with the top of the V extending toward the open end ofthe welt and complementary fastening devices carried by said tapesection.

WILLIAM TAIT.

